Platinum Sepia Ink

I used to use Sailor Kiwakuro ink for my watercolor sketches, but one time I had them smudging my sketches like hell (maybe because of the paper quality? I have no idea tho) and ruined my sketches, I have since switched to Platinum Carbon Ink!  People warn about this ink because it cloggs up the pen faster than the regular ink, but so far, I am and my pens are doing fine!

Now, I didn't know about this but Platinum also have Sepia Carbon Ink!
One day I was talking to one of my stationary goods nerd friend and was talking about pen and ink.  I said to him Platinum Carbon Ink works really nice for me and I wish they had Sepia ink, then the nerd friend said "Eh? they DO carry Sepia ink".   I was like wooow!!

So, I ordered right away on my iPhone and the very next day they delivered this beautiful Sepia ink!!

As I have read on its review, the color isn't really Sepia-sepia, but more like a lighter brown.  I would say Chocolaty Brown.  Which I don't mind.  I filled my Lamy Vista with this ink and drew above sketch. Since I am used to using very black carbon ink (with bent nib calligraphy pen which creates very thinck line) this very light brown thin lines feel a bit too weak?  But you can always sketch lighter subject, something you don't want to have thick lines or defined lines, such as food sketch and/or flower sketches?

This is another example with the sepia ink.

親愛なるナヌークノートブックのその後

あまりの変わり様に正直かなりショックを受けて、ナヌークのTwitter宛にメールして、こんな事になってるんですが、同様のクレーム来てませんか？と聞いてみた。

回答を書き出すと：

•もともとナヌークの紙はOKシュークリームラフという銘柄を使ってて、その厚さ等、発売当初から変更無し。

•OKシュークリームラフは一般紙でナヌーク用に開発されたものではない。

•今までもロットにより裏抜け具合、紙表面の繊維の毛羽立ち具合が変わったということがあったが、ロット差に関しては管理数値（色の透明度、白色度、平滑度）が一般紙の誤差の範囲内。

•もともとOKシュークリームラフは書籍に使用される目的で作られた紙のため、筆記等目的の高級紙と比べると管理数値の範囲に際がある。

との事。

分かる！全部分かるんだけど！！なんだ、あまりの使用感の違いが（オレの中では）大きすぎて、、、水彩絵の具でスケッチする人なんてそんなにいないだろうから？大騒ぎしてるのはオレだけかも知れないけど、使い始めて2、3ページ描いたところでこんなショック。そして、この先ナヌークじゃダメじゃん？て事実がちょっとキツイね。

、、、というか、これはもう、いい加減にちゃんとした『スケッチブック』に絵を描けよと言う事なのかもなぁ？高いスケッチブックに挑むより、安く手に入るナヌークに逃げていたと言うのは実際にあるんだよ。そしていつの間にかナヌークの紙質の良さに助けられ、ここまで来てしまったと言う事なんだけど。

ううーーーーー。

これを読んでるナヌーク愛好家の方がいたら、コメント下さい。

おしまい。

親愛なるナヌークノートブックが！！！

きれいなノート「ナヌーク」でお馴染み？の、ナヌークノートブック。

そのシンプルさと何気に良い紙質を気に入って、2010年くらいから使い続けているんだけど、ついこのあいだ買ったのを昨日使い始めてビックリ！がんがん裏抜けするじゃん！？いつからこんななったの！？

もともとグラフィックデザイナーの松本弦人氏が作ったという話もすごく好きで、さすがデザイナーが考案しただけあって、これだけシンプルで潔く、その上クオリティーの高いノートが500円とかで買えるってところに感動したんだけど。本当にこれ、使い勝手が良い。しかも最近はコレに簡単なスケッチをして、さらに水彩絵の具で色まで塗るようになってたから、本当に重宝していた。

かなりヘビーに水彩を使っても感心するほど裏抜けしなくて、それを同じスケッチ仲間や外国の友だちにもプレゼントしたりオススメしたりして、けっこう自慢のノートだったのだ。

それがだ。昨日新しいのを使ってスケッチして、ページをめくったら何だか汚いんだよね？ 確認したら裏抜けの跡なの。普段から信頼してる紙質なので、その時は「あれ？オレそんなに筆圧強かったかな？」って思ってたんだけど、帰宅してから見ても、なんだかおかしい。

試しに薄墨の筆ペンでスッスッと書いてみたら、書いている最中から、明らかにインクが紙に染み込んで行くのが分かる。？？？えええ？？？

今までだったら、インクは紙の表面に乗るけど、こんな風に染み込んで行く感じじゃなかったじゃん？だって、塗ったとたん紙の繊維に吸い込まれたインクが変な感じでブツブツになってるじゃん。なんか、意味がわからなくてずっと？？？って感じ。しょうがないから、以前使ってたナヌークと比べりゃ早いや、と古いの全部引っ張り出して来て試してみたよ。

左から筆を下、上、下、と3ストローク（写真では動揺して上下上って書いて有るけど）真ん中が2ストローク、そして右側が1ストローク。

そしてその裏がこれ。（1、2、3、はストローク数）

ま、普通こんな感じだよね。

次は昨日下ろした新しいナヌーク。

表面に見えるなんかポツポツした跡、コレ繊維にインクが吸収された跡だと思うよ。

てか、今までこんな量のインクで、紙の表面にがこんなまだらになったことないぜ。

そしてお待ちかねの裏側！

がガガガーーーーーーーん！

どうよ？

こんなのないぜ？今までこんな簡単に汚くなったことなんて一度もない。

WWSketch Crawl and Urban Sketchers 24hr Sketchwalk.

We had this thing called World Wide Sketch Crawl today.  And today was also the day for Urbansketchers Anniversary Sketchwalk!!!  It was pretty much a festival for Sketchers around the world!

It was my first experience to "officially" join Urbansketchers Japan team today so I was a bit nervous but I knew some participants who were also the first timer via Instagram, so I was both nervous and exciting!!

But in the morning when I woke up, it was already 9:36am!!  We were supposed to be at Tokyo station at 11:00am! I was already 30min late!!  Way to go sinizzio!

Anyway, I got there exactly 30min late but everything was fine.  I acted really cool (LOL) and introduced myself and my wife to other members of USk Japan and we all got to sketch together! Exciting part was meeting with a couple of friends from Instagram.  We all knew each other and talked on Instagram but never met in person!! But as you know how it is, right away, we were like old friends!!  Awesomeness!!

今日はワールド・ワイド・スケッチクロールに行って来た。同時に今日はアーバンスケッチャーズの10周年記念として、世界中でもみんなスケッチウォークをする事になっているようで、いわば今日はスケッチャーズのお祭りみたいなもんだね。

こういうイベントに今まで一度も参加した事が無いので、どんなものか不安もあったけど、インスタグラムで繋がっていた友だちも参加すると聞いたので、不安半分ドキドキ半分で挑みました。

で、朝。目覚めたら既に９時半とか！僕らは11時に東京駅の新マルビル集合だったので、この時点で既に30分の遅刻が確定。なにやってんだ！？

ま、キッチリ30分遅れで到着したけど、みんな既にスケッチ中。何事も無かった風に颯爽と紛れ込む。そして、インスタグラムで繋がっていた何人かの友だちと現実に会う！！実際に今まであった事無いはずなのに、インスタで繋がってお互いの絵とか見て、コメントし合っているせいもあって、全然初対面じゃないみたいなこのノリ！サイコ〜！

This one was the very first sketch that I did of Tokyo station... In my mind, I was very sure everything will fit in the page, but no... it didn't... no....

一番最初のトライ。描く前は完全に全部はいる計算だったんだけど、入るわけが無い！！

It was sunny but as were were sketching it got bit cloudy.
到着当時は天気もよくて上着脱いだんだけど、途中から曇ったね。

This one was my second try.  But it still is very distorted, I somehow shurunk it a half size!? 

で、こちらが２度目の。これでさえ大幅に縮められている！！

We could sketch more but we were also hungry... so off to lunch!!

もっと描きたかったんですが、さすがにお腹もすいちゃってね。

After lunch, we started sketching each other.

みんなでお昼を食べて、一段落したら誰ともなくみんなスケッチをし出すという。

This is my sketch.

I added more color a few days later.  

楽しすぎ。

World Wide Sketch Crawl is tomorrow.

Midnight observational sketch.

My wife doing something on computer @2:00am.

@2:16am

@2:32am, she wore her Uniqlo light down vest.

Having fun with failed color palette...

I was making color swatches but it didn't work out as I hoped... so I played with it.  It was fun.

My new fountain pen.

HERO 9018 calligraphy nib pen.

Quick sketch on the train.

Sometimes, opportunity to sketch arrives out of nowhere.  Often times, when I am eager or ready to sketch, nothing seem to interest me to draw.  I carry all my sketching goods with me the whole time but it seems that the more I am ready, the less interesting the world seems...  And it is when I am not really thinking about sketching, the perfect timing arrives!!

It was when I was on the late night train going home from my weekly figure drawing session.  Everyone sitting in front of me were minding their own business, and no one seemed to pay attention even if I started sketching them!! I was only 3 stations away from my station, that is only 5 more minutes till I get off.  If I were a usual self, I'd say "nah..." and kept sitting but that night, after the figure drawing session, I was a bit high maybe? I started to draw anyway.

I started sketching from the left.  Initially I thought I'd be happy if I could finish the 3rd guy on time, but I was quicker than I thought and it seemed I could go on more so I did.  And when I got to my station, I was drawing the 2nd guy from the right.  And I could just stand up and get off the train... but I couldn't!  I really wanted to capture the last guy (the guy on very right) who were sleeping looking up with his mouth half open!  So, I kept drawing, sitting for an extra stop...

Well, I think it was worth it.  I felt really complete and content!  Luckily, one extra stop didn't hurt much and I walked home from there, I got to excersise both on my sketching skill and for my body.

This is the colored version.

To make a frame or not to make a frame... that is the question.

I don't know why but I never liked making a frame before I sketch.  You know, some people make a square/rectangular frame in their sketchbook page before they sketch?  I could never do that.  But when I was sketching with @lolsup, and when I asked her for some tips,  she told me "framing can work as your reference point".

hmmm, I see...

The reason why I don't like making a frame beforehand is because one; I usually can't draw nice straight lines on the go. (cuz when I want to sketch, it's usually like "I wanna sketch NOW!" and there's no time to put down my sketchbook on a firm surface and make nice straight lines), and two; making a frame makes me feel I am committing to my sketch.  I just want to sketch/draw whatever I see and not make a work. I don't make myself feel like "OK, now, I will sketch this interesting/beautiful scene in my sketchbook!"  It's weird mentality... I want to start from wherever and whatever and if that works, I want to progress from there and if that goes well, it'll end up becoming a piece... but not make myself commit to the sketch before I start sketching.

But the other day, I kind of thought, hmmm why not make a frame by taping some masking tape on my sketchbook page and see how that works...

And here are the results.

It was nice.  I didn't feel I need to commit to what I am doing because there's actually no frame made with a line. but rather with a tape, which made it feel more like a border... if that make sense? lol

and after I colored my sketch and peeled off the masking tape, it created this invisible frame!!  which looks kinda neat!

And yes, I guess having a frame makes it easier to sketch a scene.  and eventually make one commit to finishing the scene as a work piece.  I wasn't feeling being made to commit to sketching before doing these pieces, but as I sketched them I focused more and more and finished the whole scene.

If there wasn't a frame, I might not have...because when I lose my concentration or make a mistake and feel "ah, crap" I will stop sketching there...  Bur when you have this un-sketched blank area in the frame, you kind of feel you need to fill it in even if it's already crappy.  LOL

Anyway, so I think it's working for me now.  And after I've done these sketches, my wife and kids saw them and said "I think you are getting better" , "Your sketches getting more detailed" blah blah blah... yes, I guess that's because I finished a sketch as a whole scene not just person or object in front of me... which I usually do without framing...

Hmmm, very interesting change in my sketching style.  And I think, hope if you are not used to framing your sketch before, you might want to give it a try next time?  It will give you a good surprise.